1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to gaskets, and more particularly to intake manifold gaskets incorporating a feature for guiding the installation of pushrods of the engine.
2. Related Art
It is known to incorporate a feature into intake manifold gaskets for guiding pushrods during the assembly of the engine. One such gasket assembly includes a rigid carrier frame of the gasket made of plastic and formed with a plurality of media-conveying openings corresponding to associated openings communications between the cylinder head and the manifold between which the gasket is to be bolted. Elastomeric sealing beads are molded to both sides of the carrier about the media-conveying openings to seal the openings when the intake manifold is bolted to the cylinder head. A plurality of forked pushrod holder/guides molded as one piece with the rigid plastic carrier frame project out of the plane of the gasket at an angle and beyond its periphery. The guides support the pushrods on the carrier in a pre-assembly stage as the engine progresses along the assembly line. While such pushrod support/guides of this type are effective for their intended purpose, the shape, location, and rigid material of the forked guides presents an obstruction to the ultimate installation of the pushrods into their use position, the installation of the rocker arms and the positioning and mounting of the manifold on the cylinder head, making the assembly process of the engine more difficult than would be desired if the pushrod supports were not in the way.
The carrier frame of other known manifold gaskets is made of metal instead of plastic. Features such as the forked pushrod guide described above are not easily made from the metal carrier material without adding significant cost and manufacturing subs to the process. Even if they could be made, such a gasket would still suffer from the deficiencies of presenting an obstruction to the installation of the intake manifold, pushrods and rocker arms as described above.
The present invention overcomes or greatly minimizes the foregoing deficiencies of the prior manifold gaskets described above.